Columbus is 2-2 in championship games in the last year: The Crew beat LAFC 2-1 in the 2023 MLS Cup, lost to Pachuca 3-0 in the Concacaf Champions Cup final on June 1, and beat LAFC 3-1 in the Leagues Cup final on Aug. 25, before Wednesday’s defeat.

The Campeones Cup, which started in 2018, is played annually between the winner of the MLS Cup and the winner of Mexico's Campeón de Campeones.

After seven rounds of penalty kicks, Columbus Crew were unable to hit their final attempt, but there was controversy with the outcome.